They Say Blue

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I say “beautiful.” A Caldecott Honor winner, Tamaki’s picture book debut is simple, elegant, and emotive. Sure to kick-start your imagination and warm your heart, They Say Blue is a colorful, everyday adventure. Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com

In captivating paintings full of movement and transformation, Tamaki follows a young girl through a year or a day as she examines the colors in the world around her. Egg yolks are sunny orange as expected, yet water cupped in her hands isn't blue like they say. But maybe a blue whale is blue. She doesn't know, she hasn't seen one. Playful and philosophical, They Say Blue is a book about color as well as perspective, about the things we can see and the things we can only wonder at.

This first picture book from celebrated illustrator Jillian Tamaki will find equal appreciation among kids and collectors.

"Thinking, imagining, noticing — these, Tamaki suggests, are the tools we have to understand our world." Publishers Weekly

"Attuned to a child’s psychology and patterns of critical thinking, this visually stunning work is a must-purchase for libraries." School Library Journal

"The free-association nature of the child narrator’s interaction with her surroundings seems utterly familiar, and approaching it with observational, sensory language lands it firmly in territory children can relate to. This poetic, off-kilter little book has enigmatic power, and observant children will likely be enchanted." Booklist (Starred Review)

A 2018 Boston Globe-Horn Book Picture Book Award Winner and A 2018 Parent's Choice Picture Book Gold Award Winner

In captivating paintings full of movement and transformation, Tamaki follows a young girl through a year or a day as she examines the colors in the world around her. Egg yolks are sunny orange as expected, yet water cupped in her hands isn't blue like they say. But maybe a blue whale is blue. She doesn't know, she hasn't seen one. Playful and philosophical, They Say Blue is a book about color as well as perspective, about the things we can see and the things we can only wonder at.

This first picture book from celebrated illustrator Jillian Tamaki will find equal appreciation among kids and collectors.

Jillian Tamaki is an illustrator and comics artist best known for her graphic novels Skim, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated, and This One Summer, both cocreated with Mariko Tamaki. This One Summer was awarded a Caldecott Honor, Printz Honor, and Eisner Award.